Miss Una To Be Crowned Jan. 23

Jan. 15, 2010

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@car-rentalturkey.com, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - Eighteen young women will compete for the crown of Miss University of North Alabama 2010 and a chance to represent the university in the Miss Alabama Pageant when the Miss UNA Scholarship Pageant takes place Jan. 23 in Norton Auditorium. Admission to the event is $10 for the general public and free to UNA students. Tickets are available at the UNA Office of Student Engagement and will also be available at the door. For more information, contact Melanie Harris, UNA coordinator of programming, at 256-765-4248 or maharris1@car-rentalturkey.com.

The doors will open at 6 p.m., and the pageant will begin at 7 p.m. The contestants are Anna Margaret Johnson, of Muscle Shoals; Brooke Williams, of Gadsden; D'Aria Booker, of Huntsville; Breann Boughton, of Killen; Brandi Lewis, of Homewood; Emilee Crosswhite, of Decatur; LaKeva Casey, of Leighton; Tiffany Elkins, of Tuscumbia; Traci Hite, of Crane Hill; Ashley of Sheehy, of Harvest; Courtney Childers, of Russellville; Jade Tarpley, of Falkville; Jamie Minor, of Muscle Shoals; Cayla Buttram, of Trinity; Erin Dulaney, of Cullman, Jessica McElvey, of Cleveland; Erica Gholson, of Springville; and Claire Stewart, of Hazel Green. The evening's mistress of ceremonies will be Colene Burns, Miss UNA 2007 and a two-time first runner-up to Miss Alabama. Burns is a 2007 summa cum laude graduate of UNA with a BBA degree in finance and economics. She also earned her MBA in finance from UNA in 2009. While at UNA, Burns received the Keller Key Award for the highest GPA of her graduating class. She also served as head Majorette for the Pride of Dixie Marching Band and as vocalist for the UNA Jazz Band. Burns is a five-time title holder in the Miss Alabama Pageant system, receiving more than $50,000 in college scholarships through her participation in the program. She is currently enrolled at the University of Mississippi, where she is pursuing her Ph.D. in economics on full academic scholarship. The Miss UNA Scholarship Pageant is an official preliminary for the Miss Alabama and Miss America pageants. The pageant has been a UNA tradition for 34 years. It provides an opportunity for the university's young women to compete for scholarship funding and prizes. Each contestant is encouraged and mentored to develop skills that will enrich her personal and professional life beyond her university experience. Miss UNA spends her year in service to the university and Shoals area community. She promotes the platform of her choice, makes official appearances as a university representative and represents the university at the Miss Alabama Pageant. Categories in which the contestants will be judged include an interview session, worth 25 percent of the final score; an on-stage question, worth 5 percent; a talent portion, worth 35 percent; evening wear, worth 20 percent; and lifestyle and fitness in swimsuit, worth 15 percent.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: car-rentalturkey.com and car-rentalturkey.com/unaworks/.